US firm takes salmon bait in Loch Duart

US - The US private equity firm that has invested in Scottish salmon farming is said to has provided an exit for a number of shareholders and a route to new markets for the 60-employee firm.

Capricorn Investment Group, which counts eBay founder Jeff Skoll among its investors, has shared views on sustainability and would take a longer term interest than the normal three to five years of a typical venture capitalist, says Nick Joy, managing director of Loch Duart.

Loch Duart emerged as an independent company following a buy-out from Joseph Johnson & Sons in August 1999 and had a turnover last year of £13.2m. It exports 60% of production.

Joy said the deal with Capricorn would help the firm's sales in the US, where it already sells 1,000 tons a year, equal to 20 per cent of output.